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New York Fights
Against Identity Theft

By

Colleen DeBaiseDow Jones Newswires

Updated Dec. 29, 2004 12:01 a.m. ET

NEW YORK -- Last month, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau launched a new Identity Theft Unit to target criminals who use increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal personal information and raid victims' credit-card and bank accounts.

The effort by a major metropolitan district attorney comes as law-enforcement and industry experts agree that specialized training is needed to combat a problem that affects about 10 million Americans annually. Critics, including many victims, say not enough cases are prosecuted and...